Stained
by Hellsing-Heiress
Summary: Itasaku.One shot. The path she had chosen brought her to him. Her decisions and desires led her to that fate, she regreted nothing.


Title: **Stained**  
Category: Anime/Manga » Naruto  
Author: Helssing-Heiress  
Language: English, Rating: Rated: T  
Genre: Romance/Hurt/Comfort  
Published: 04-13-10, Updated: 04-13-10  
Chapters: 1, Words: 1,436

* * *

Stained

People said that death was a relief and not a punishment.

what utter nonsense.

Only people who have never experienced any kind of suffering would spout such trivial garbage. They were mere slaves to their own vast ignorance.

The boiling of his temperament had far been stretched beyond good capacity, breathing harder than usual now, he crouched over the stiff body, waiting for a response.

" I asked you a question, girl." his voice rough and horsed slightly from his earlier fatigue.

The girl in question, lay slumped over his right arm, her tattered hair soiled with the dampness of the rain and the unkind texture of the soaked mud.

She was a mess.

Clearing eyes stared shallowly into his own orbs, neither searching nor demanding; just waiting.

"What is it?"

"You're looking more stressed than ever, Itachi" She stammered, the weight of her neck stretching to see him was heaver than see anticipated. " you really should not push yourself so hard."

His sunken eyes stared, outwardly there had been no change, however, his wonder only grew within him as he stared almost amusingly baffled by the woman he held in his arms.

Here she was, openly vulnerable, wounds ragged against her once smooth skin, wet from the storm, and also with an increasing fever that would make even the most disciplined of people concerned.

And yet, she was teling him to look after his health.

Only Sakura Haruno was capable of this.

Her unfathomable capability to put others well beings before her own was nothing short of ridiculous to him, no other normal nor sensible person would look the man in the eye, and yet she dared to lecture him on basic health necessities.

"You are in no position to be making requests."

"I know, but you could at least humour me, couldn't you?" She half-heatedly chuckled, the pitching's of her voice slightly muffled by the awkward position of her lungs.

A silence that was not uncomfortable settled between the odd pair.

She smiled now, the small smile. The one she used when she was pretending to be happy; it was a lie, a facade.

Yet, a beautiful one at that.

He had never considered himself sadistic, really. A little pessimistic but never, sadistic. All he longed for was contentment, silence, and solitude.

But, then as he looked at the woman who had change his organisation to bedlam, he realised there were special conditions to his temperament. She who was slowly becoming an exception to all and everything, she who defied him, she who tended to him.

She was everything he could not understand;

selfless, defiant and caring.

These words had held no meaning for a man of his stature, anyone in the cursed organisation of Akatsuki knew these rules, they knew them all too well.

They understood the isolation, the rejection and most of all they dispised it all the more because they knew they had chosen it .

All for the sake of becoming something more.

"You are dying."

There was no falter in his words, he knew the facts of his speech.

He had accepted it.

She beamed then, her fading colour merely illuminated by her flawless grin.

"I think I've been dying every day since you came into my life."

The smile stayed, fixed on its position. She was the only person he would ever know that would grin at their own demise, she was indeed a unique being.

He knew then.

Cautious and gentle, he lifted he weary neck from his arm, and bringing her head to rest in his large, artistic hands.

His thin fingers capturing her face in a cushioned vice, caging her gaze towards him. He kept her there, seconds and minutes weren't necessary, not when it came to information.

"What do you mean?"

there was nothing else.

"_aishiteru."_

The dawning silence did not fade away from the pair, she did not falter and strain in anyway, she was making her Peace with her self.

He had to be told.

Fate had nothing to do with her circumstances with him, her love for him was her second chance, only she knew it was not the same for him.

Sakura knew within herself, that to presume her feelings would be return would be unrealistic at the most.

Of all then men in the world she could have had feelings for.

It was not as if she had a choice in the matter, she knew that much.

she was not waiting for him, she presumed all too well that his reaction would be nothing short of silence, luckily it was all she needed.

"I suppose this is fitting, isn't it?" She chimed, staring the stoic Uchiha into acknowledgment.

The slight cocking of his slender neck was a strong enough sign to her, she had been able to adapt to his subtly easier than she had expected.

" So, this is punishment for your foolishness?" His ashy voice sounded queerly enlightened at his own speech.

As if he was confused at his own question.

She smiled again.

" If you're not willing to sound foolish, then you don't deserve the bliss of love."

It was all she had, all she could give.

Both stayed still, frozen in that moment of obvious lose.

Itachi's placid gaze watched her colour fade from her love heart shaped face. She was still young, still full of potential, and still painfully caring.

If it had been anyother man, any other time, and she would have had her feelings returned. But, he wasn't, it wasn't and she would never feel for any other man.

It was only then, when gazing at a woman with less sense than a ninja who would take on the kyubbi single handed, that he realised the streaking sun that sneak over the cliff side.

It was bright and blinding, the warmth from its gaze radiating into Itachi's clad back, spreading over his large shoulders and head. It was a complete contrast to her cold, frail form.

But then again she was a contrast.

She was a big mess of conflicting emotions, the only person he had met in his life that could be their own contradiction.

She looked up to him, once more.

"I won't blame you for leaving." she beamed, her once exuberant eyes had already begun to fade to a colder demeanor, it was almost time.

He took a large intake of breathe then, a real one, one she could hear.

But he was not done. He clutched her, tightening his hold on her gradually, as he pulled her higher toward him, caging her in the shelter of his body.

Heat emitted, all around her.

"No, but you'd think less of me."

* * *

Hello, my crazy friends!

I'm sorry I haven't written anything for awhile, but I had major reasons I promise. Firstly, there was my exam revision ( which totally messed me up in ways people couldn't understand, haha... I'm such a drama queen). Secondly, my family took me away from my home ( I WAS KIDNAPPED). And finally, I was suffering from romance blues... but I won't go into.. ^_^.

BY THE WAY! INFORMATION! (asteriu means I love you in japanese)

Anyway, no one wants to know about my sappy depression... sooooooooo lets continue.

I'm really sorry about this depressing chapter installment, well, at least it's only a one-shot.

This was really just a sampling of my coming up ITASAKU-NESSSSS ( YEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH). But, anyway I was just trying to explain that I'm back now and I should be updating quicker than usual.

...

Not that anybody reads this rubbish...

But, I am very grateful for those who are patient enough to read my installments, thank you all again and please let me know what you think your reviews make me happy inside.

~ Goodbye!


End file.
